Contractors of RTP projects assured of continued funding

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KUCHING: State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohd Morshidi Abdul Ghani assured contractors of the rural transformation programme (RTP) projects that the fund is there and they should not be duly worried.

“The RTP projects are under the State Government and the fund is there. So, those who are undertaking the projects would not be duly worried. But we hope that those who implement these projects would always provide high quality works for the benefit of rakyat,” Morshidi told The Borneo Post here yesterday.

He also quashed rumours that the state government has no more money to pay the contractors who have been awarded the RTP projects which were introduced by former Chief Minister the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem.

“There should be no question of the lack of fund as RTP projects are ongoing and we have the fund for all those which have been approved,” added Morshidi.

As for the multi-billion Pan Borneo Highway project, Morshidi, who is also the chairman of the executive committee of its implementation and coordination, said it is a federal project which has been approved.

“As far as we are concerned, we are very happy with the performance of all the contractors. Currently, the project is being implemented and its progress ranges between 10-20 per cent complete. And some of them are even ahead of schedule. So hopefully, it could be completed as scheduled by 2023,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, when contacted Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Infrastructure Development and Transportation Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing said the new federal government headed by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad ought to honour the mega project as it is vital for the socio-economic development for both Sarawak and Sabah.

“We believed he (Dr Mahathir) will carry on with the project as it will help boost the socio-economic development of the 2.8 million people of Sarawak,” he stressed.

Masing pointed out that even State Pakata Harapan chairman Chong Chieng Jen has given his assurance that the Pakatan Harapan-led federal government would continue to assist the state even though it has decided to remain in the opposition.

“It has to be continued as we have been left out for the past 55 years in terms of infrastructure development,” added Masing.